Outside of the WoTC D&D minis...

[Glyfair]

The only problem with all of the other minis mentioned above is that they come unfinished (unpainted, unassembled). So, if you're like me and have no talent or patience for assembling/painting minis, then they will be of no use to you.

Yeah, I've got an Umber Hulk from a while back gathering dust in a box somewhere because I don't have the talent or energy to sit down and try to put it together & paint it. I have two Umber Hulks from Harbinger to use for RPG purposes and they suit my needs very well (although with the current prices I've considered selling one).

 

[bento]

I get a bit depressed when I start pulling out minis for my group's evening of RPG entertainment and not finding what I need. I'm not willing to shell out the money to keep up with the DDM sets, and while I have purchased some Reaper minis, they have been for multiple commons like dire rats and kobolds. I also don't have the patience or desire to paint.

That's why my next mini purchase will be the Counter Collections from Fiery Dragon. While they are two-dimensional, I can print out multiples, resize them for large or colossal encounters and two sets contain most every monster in the MM1. Total cost is $15 on RPGNow.

It sure beats "ok guys, imagine this dire bear, grell and gibbering mouther are the minotaurs chasing you."

 

[werk]

I have to say, I am a big fan of the D&D mini's. Not as a collectible, but as a game aid. I was always frustrated by the metal mini's and my prayers were answered when DDM was launched.

But...I understand not everyone shares my enthusiasm. I have a player in one of my campaigns that refuses to use them, and insists on using his own mini that he brings. I don't have a problem with that, but his mini is a different scale, making him look like a giant among men, and it is still unpainted...which was my primary beef with metal mini's, the time/effort to paint and maintain them.

I'd rather have my mini wearing the wrong armor or wrong weapon than have a dead-on mini that isn't painted/finished. (Currently using a wood elf archer for my human cleric.)

Has anyone else had bad experience (aesthetic or otherwise) when mixing the DDM with 3rd parties' minis?

 

[DaveMage]

That's why my next mini purchase will be the Counter Collections from Fiery Dragon. While they are two-dimensional, I can print out multiples, resize them for large or colossal encounters and two sets contain most every monster in the MM1. Total cost is $15 on RPGNow.

It sure beats "ok guys, imagine this dire bear, grell and gibbering mouther are the minotaurs chasing you."

I love the way the D&D minis look on the table - which is why I buy them - but you really can't go wrong with the Fiery Dragon counters. They are awesome.

 

[Nebulous]

Has anyone else had bad experience (aesthetic or otherwise) when mixing the DDM with 3rd parties' minis?

I can't say it was a "bad" experience, as in i swept every mini off the board in utter frustration at their scale incompatibility

But i know what you mean. I've been using minis from board games like Doom and Descent, and those are some rockin' cool plastic miniatures that are pretty easy to paint. The Descent character models are good too, but too small.

 

[mearls]

Has anyone else had bad experience (aesthetic or otherwise) when mixing the DDM with 3rd parties' minis?

Yes.

I was playing in a friend's Ghostwalk campaign. I happened to have the perfect mini for my PC, a Hackmaster dwarf thief with a crossbow. I painted him up in my PC's colors, blues and greys, and was really happy with how he came out. Everyone else used plastic DDM stuff, including the DM for all the monsters.

The next session, we're battling ghouls, taking on a vampire, all sorts of stuff. After the big battle, one of the players moves aside the minis to let the DM wipe off the Tact-Tiles.

Once he was done, the player who moved the minis then grabbed all the minis, the 12 plastic ones and my one, lonely metal guy, tossed them in the air, and let them rain down on the clear Tact-Tiles. He had forgotten that my metal, painted fig was in the bunch.

So yes, I have had bad experiences mixing metal and plastic.

(The story has a happy ending: My dwarf didn't suffer any damage. The matte sealer protected him.)

 

[FolcoTook]

That's why my next mini purchase will be the Counter Collections from Fiery Dragon.

Just another thought, if you have any ability with graphics/layout applications, it's pretty easy to make your own counters using the Art Galleries on WotC's site.

-FT

 

[Nebulous]

Just another thought, if you have any ability with graphics/layout applications, it's pretty easy to make your own counters using the Art Galleries on WotC's site.

-FT

Indeed. It's actually easy with Photoshop to make your own monsters from ANY picture. I have handfulls of zombies made from Dawn of the Dead and Shawn of the Dead.

 

[frankthedm]

Reaper’s prices are not that bad as far as solid medal goes. The prices used to be good a few years back. The metal mini market sadly has suffered universal bloat.

Grim Reaper Castings does some D&D like minis and even had a hand in the silver anniversary figs.

Harlequin figures does several D&D monsters.

Mageknight [now out of print] had dozens of semi-decent figs to use for D&D. Heroclix as well has some D&D worthy figs. You had to pop the figs off the original bases and rebase on 1” washers and bases though.

Toy stores sometimes have decent minis sitting on shelves, The Narnia toy line has a few decent figs merely needing a base. Mcfarlane’s Dragons were often hit or miss, but there are several that make fantastic dragons of huge to gargantuan range. Nature toys make FANTASTIC dire animals. The Mega blox Dragons are not well scaled, but the plasma dragon named boulder makes a real good earth drake from Dark*Sun

Dollar stores occasionally have a nice huge giant sitting on toy shelves. The Young titan and Robed Giant both have been spotted in discount stores. The stone giant was a anime action figure bought on close out.

Slimes can be made from wax and wire.

Stop by my mini thread for more ideas.

 

[kenobi65]

Once he was done, the player who moved the minis then grabbed all the minis, the 12 plastic ones and my one, lonely metal guy, tossed them in the air, and let them rain down on the clear Tact-Tiles. He had forgotten that my metal, painted fig was in the bunch.

I've had the same experience, esp. at RPGA conventions, where the plastic DDMs are now the norm. I've got lovingly hand-painted metal minis, and, more than once, the DM or a player has casually swept or grabbed the minis off the mat at the end of a combat, to my chagrin ("Careful! Painted mini in there!") and their embarrassment.

Thank gawd for good clear sealers, to protect the paintjobs.